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November 10, 2002 Catholic Parishioners Strongly Favor Greater Financial Accountability FADICA/ Gallup National Survey Takes Pulse of Donors in the Pew Washington, D.C. ----- A new nationwide study of frequent mass attending Catholics finds that seventy nine percent of parishioners favor full diocesan accounting of the financial costs of settlements associated with priest sexual abuse. The study, commissioned by Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, Inc. (FADICA), a consortium of private funders assisting religious causes, was engineered by Villanova University Economics Professor, Charles E. Zech. The study was undertaken during the first three weeks of October, and the telephone interviews were done by The Gallup Organization of Princeton, New Jersey. Entitled, National Survey of Catholic Parishioners on Financial Accountability and Sup-port, the survey is a first of its kind to measure on a national basis the sentiments of active Catholics with respect to the financial aspects of the priest sexual abuse crisis. According to FADICA’s president, Dr. Francis J. Butler, the study was undertaken because major Catholic lay donors were “concerned about whether the church would ultimately be able to carry on its fundamental pastoral and social mission if attitudes about the collection basket were changing as the result of the priest sexual abuse crisis.” Other salient findings of parishioner attitudes include:
The study found that a large majority of Catholics have not changed their giving habits as a result of the priest sexual abuse scandal, says Professor Zech, who designed and analyzed the study for FADICA. “Church leadership should be slow to conclude that all is well with the parish Catholic.” He adds, “Clearly those in the pew continue to support the church because they do not want to harm its charitable mission,” he says. “But,” Dr. Zech remarks, “giving habits as measured by the total survey suggest a potential for a stern response from Catholic donors in the absence of wise stewardship.” The Villanova University professor goes on to make six recommendations to church leaders including: publication of diocesan audits in their entirety; parish forums to answer parishioner questions about finances; a nationally coordinated summary of church costs associated with the priest sexual abuse scandal; diocesan listening sessions when cutbacks or church property sales are planned; educational efforts on not-for-profit accounting standards and church policies; and an annual survey of Catholic donor attitudes. Copies of the study are available through FADICA at 202-223-3550, P.O. Box 57223, Washington DC, 20037. Internet orders are accepted at info@FADICA.org. Price: $19.95. |